Amboseli National Park Background Information:
Amboseli National Park lies immediately North West of
Mt. Kilimanjaro, on the border with Tanzania. Amboseli
was established as a reserve in 1968 and gazetted as a
National Park in 1974. The Park covers 392 km2, and
forms part of the much larger 3,000 Km2 Amboseli
ecosystem. Large concentrations of wildlife occur here
in the dry season, making Amboseli a popular tourist
destination. It is surrounded by 6 communally owned
group ranches.

Amboseli National Park embodies 5 main wildlife
habitats (open plains, acacia woodland, rocky thorn
bush country, swamps and marshland) and covers part of
a pleistocene lake basin, now dry. Within this basin
is a temporary lake, Lake Amboseli, that floods during
years of heavy rainfall. Amboseli is famous for its
big game and its great scenic beauty - the landscape
is dominated by Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Location of Amboseli National
Park:
On the border with Tanzania, Kajiado District, South
Kenya; Covers 392km2

Climate at Amboseli National
Park:
The climate is mainly hot and dry. Amboseli is in the
rain shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The maximum average
temperature of the warmest month is 33°C during the
day, while that of the coldest is 27-28°C. An annual
rainfall of 300mm per annum is distributed in two
seasons: April/May and November/December. Recurrent
droughts and potential evaporation of 2200mm per annum
typifies the region (KWS, 1991).

Getting to Amboseli National
Park
Roads to Amboseli National Park:
The main road into the Park is from Nairobi are via
Namanga (240 km) on the Nairobi - Arusha Road, via
Meshanani Gate. The road is tarmac upto Namanga but is
badly corrugated and potholed in places from Namanga
to Meshanani Gate (75km). The other road and via Emali
(228 km) on the Nairobi - Mombasa Road. The road is
tarmac up to Emali and murram from Emali to Remito
Gate (64 km) Access from Mombasa is mainly through
Tsavo West via Kimana (Olkelunyiet) Gate.

Airstrips at Amboseli
National Park:
The park has a single airstrip for light aircraft at
Empusel gate. Other airstrips exist at Kilimanjaro
Buffalo lodge and Namanga town.

Amboseli National Park Roads:
Viewing roads network covers the park adequately. Many
of the park viewing roads are not usable during the
rains and because of the loose ashy nature of volcanic
soil, the roads become very dusty during the dry
season.

Amboseli National Park Gates:
The park has five gates, Kelunyiet, lremito,
Ilmeshanan; Kitirua and Airstrip.

Major Attractions at Amboseli
National Park:
-Mount Kilimanjaro
-Mount Meru
-Observation Hill which allows an overall view of the
whole park especially the swamps and elephants,
-Contemporary Maasai culture and indigenous lifestyle